I’ve been listening to IEW’s podcasts. They are very interesting. I do not use the writing program, but am contemplating using it for later.
I agree that Pudewa seems to gain a cult-like (-ish, not really a cult) following. (the hostess of the show is glad she has the “opportunity to serve Andrew and IEW,” which seems just a tad odd).
BUT, when I was in elem. and middle school, we were taught to write paragraphs according to a formula. Topic sentence, 3 supporting sentences, conclusion sentence. Super-formulaic in that we were even given the words to use for the supporting sentences (first, second, third, etc.) And of course “In conclusion” to start the final sentence.
At first glance this seems like a HORRID way to teach paragraph writing. But, it freed me up to concentrate on content. And when it was time for essays, they simply taught us to expand those three supporting sentences into paragraphs. So simple.
And it worked! I am nothing special, have no writing talent, but I read a lot, have a good vocabulary, and I have an instant framework for nearly anything I need to write. But I have always scored well on writing assignments, even my master’s thesis was well-received.
So, it seems to me that there is value in providing a box for people to learn and then grow out of. Everyone seems to place so much value on”out of the box” thinking amd writing…….but you can’t be out of a box if there is never any box given. The box needs to be identified and studied before you can think or write outside of it.
So that’s what I’m thinking now about IEW’s writing program.(and now that I’ve read over this, I realize I should have written it like I was taught ?. Evidently, my box got trampled sometime!!! ?)
Wow, this is an older thread. Was surprised to see it back up in the active topics.
My 14YO son has been using IEW in a co-op for two years (started his third a few weeks ago). He is a black-and-white, just-the-facts type of kid, and IEW has been amazing for him.
The formulaic approach was exactly what he needed. At the end of the first year of IEW, I was amazed and so proud of a report that he wrote. I kept telling him that if I, as someone with a degree in English, had received the kind of education and experience that he has had with IEW, my college career would have been much easier for me.
Now whether that will work so well with my creative girls, I don’t know. I just wanted to share that for some kids, the specific, detailed instructions work well.
There are many doubt about this program based on whether or not Mr Pudewa has a university degree. If you own the materials you would have read in the acknowledgements that there are Degreed individuals who put many hours into helping to create this excellent resource. None of this really matters. As a teacher myself, I know, I can tell if a work like this is structured to meet the needs for good skills in writing. It’s very good. Of course, one does not use only one resource to teach any subject. This is an excellent way to help a homeschool parent, or someone unfamiliar with the proper way to take notes, summarize, write creatively, etc. I have to give this a huge thumbs up for getting a child to write and enjoy it, all the while doing it in a manner that will teach order in reading, and writing skills. No degree to create this was necessary, just help and lots of organization over several years